The present invention relates generally to a system for feeding parts and more specifically to a system which supplies parts in an automated manner to a machine for placement of those parts, for example, by sequentially welding a series of such parts to an automotive vehicle body in an assembly line.
It is generally known in the electrical industry to employ a series of progressive dies to punch and fold a connected web or strip of electrical terminals for later attachment to discretely insulated wires. Such a traditional web of terminals is often temporarily stored on a spool or reel prior to wire fastening.
It is also known to weld brackets and studs on automotive vehicle bodies. For example, reference should be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,303 entitled "Tack Gripper for a Tack Welding Gun and Process for Connecting a Strip-Form Workpiece to a Component" which issued to Roser on Feb. 9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,728 entitled "Process and Device for the Application of Components which are Strung Together in the Manner of a Belt onto Workpieces" which issued to Mauer et al. on Nov. 10, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,152 entitled "Process for the Electric Welding of Two Weld Parts" which issued to Renner on Sep. 20, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,959 entitled "Arc Welding of a Weld Stud" which issued to Schmitt et al. on Dec. 15, 1992. These patents are incorporated by reference herein.